Combined heater and defroster



July 11, 1939. c. L. COPE COMBINED HEATER AND DEFROSTER Filed March 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet I (Afford 4. Cape (HIM/am g July 11, 1939. c L. COPE COMBINED HEATER AND DEFROSTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 16, 1936 Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Clifford L. Cope, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to John E. Goerlich, Toledo, Ohio Application March 16, 1936, Serial No. 69,152

9 Claims.

This invention relates to vehicle body heating means in combination with means for eradicating glazed surfaces of condensed moisture or frost.

The invention embraces an arrangement of heater construction embodying a heat transferring core and air moving means enclosed in a casing having communication through a suitable duct with the wind shield or other glazed portion of the vehicle body whereby a movement or 10 agitation of air takes place at the terminus of the duct for the purpose of removing or eradicating frost or the like which may collect upon the glazed surface because of weather conditions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a heater construction incombination with a duct adapted to terminate adjacent a wind shield or other glazed surface of the vehicle whereby an air moving means in the heater serves to move a stream of air through the duct adjacent the terminus thereof for defrosting or condensation eliminating purposes and wherein such defrost- I ing arrangement does not interfere with the normal passage of air through the core of the heater for heating purposes.

A further object of the invention is the provision in combination with a heater embodying air moving means wherein a single air moving means directs a stream of air through a heat transferring core and at the same time directs m a stream of air for defrosting or moisture eradication purposes without affecting to any substantial degree the stream of air moving through the heat transferring unit.

Still another object is the provision of a heater arrangement embodying a flexible duct or tube connected thereto and terminating adjacent the wind shield of the vehicle which may be permanently connected to the heat transfer unit.

Further objects and advantages are within the i scope of this invention such as relate to the-arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and drawings of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary isometric view of the forward portion of an automotive vehicle body compartment showing a form of installation of combined heater and defroster arrangement of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a heater and defroster construction, certain parts being broken away for purposes of illustration;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the vline 3-3 of Figure 2;

- Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view showing 5 the extremity of the defroster conduit or duct arrangement and a means of securing the same to a wind shield or other portion of the vehicle;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a heater and defroster duct arrangement showing a modified form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

' Figure 7 is a side elevational view of a heater and defroster duct arrangement, the parts being shown in section of a modified form of the invention, and Fig. 8 is a view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

While I have illustrated the arrangement of my invention as embodied in a heat transferring construction utilizing a fluid heating medium, it 'is to be understood that I contemplate the arrangement of my invention in any type of arrangement wherein the same may be found to have utility. 5

Referring to the drawings in detaiL'Figure 1 illustrates the forward portion of a vehicle body showing a form of installation of combined heater and defroster arrangement "of my invention. Numeral l0 designates the vehicle dash board or member separating the body compartment from the engine compartment, II the floor or toe board, l2 the instrument board, IS the steering wheel, 14 a Wind shield fabricated of glass or other frangible material, the heater being preferably mounted upon the dash board as illustrated.

The combined heater and defroster construction as illustrated in Figure l is shown in detail in Figures 2 through 4 inclusive wherein the heating unit includes a heat transferring core or radiator 20 which is preferably adapted to receive fluid or liquid medium through the means of inlet and outlet conduits respectively designated at 2| and 22, hot water or steam being fluid mediums employed for transferring heat to a vehicle body. The core 20 is surrounded by a shroud or casing 25 which in the embodiment illustrated is open at the rear, as illustrated at 26, to accommodate the passage of a stream of air through the core.

The forward portion of the shroud or casing 25 is fitted with a face plate or cover member 28 secured to the shroud by screws 29 or other suitable means, the cover 28 being preferably provided with an opening 30 in frontof which is mounted a plurality of relatively movable or adjustable louvers or air deflectors ill for regulating the volume of air passing through the radiator core as well as to redirect the stream of heated air in a desired direction. The deflectors may be pivotally supported upon pintles 3| upon the face plate or by other suitable means.

A pair of rearwardly extending brackets 32 and 33 are secured to the shroud or casing 25 in any suitable manner as by spot welding 35 and through the use of threaded bushings 34 surrounding the fluid conduits 2i and 22 and passing through the brackets 32 and 33, the heater may be supported upon the dash board H1 or other support in the manner illustrated in Figure 2 by means of nuts 36.

In order to create an air stream through the transfer core, I have shown a motor 36 car" ried by a bracket 31 secured to the casing 19 3 means of screws 38, the motor shaft carrying a propeller or air moving means 39 which when rotating through the energization of the motor causes an air stream to be drawn in through the rear circular opening 39 of the shroud or casing 25 and forcing air through theheat transfer core,

. thence into the vehicle past the louvers or deflectors 3|. I,

The air moving means or propeller is so arranged with respect to the tapered rear portion of the shroud that while the major air stream created by the propeller is moved forwardly through the heat transfer core, a portion of the air acted upon by the air moving means is pressed or moved laterally away from the tips of the propeller blades, thus creating a slight lateral air pressure adjacent the propeller tips against the tapered side walls 25 of the shroudpr casing 25. It is to be noted that as particularly illustrated in Figure 3 the shroud construction is of a general rectangular configuration with depressed portions 40 and 4|. These depressed portions form spaces or pockets in the rear corners of the shroud in which an air pressure radially of the propeller is set up. Applicant utilizes this radial pressure to set up an air stream for the elimination of condensation, frost, and the like from the wind shield or other glazed portion of the ve hicle in the following manner. Preferably arranged at one of the corner portions of the shroud or cover construction is an outlet or duct 42 which may be fabricated of sheet metal and welded or otherwise secured to the casing as at 4-3. The outlet 42 is connected by means of a flexible tube or conduit 45 and terminates adjacent the windshield or other window from which it is desired to eradicate moisture, condensation, or The flexible tube 45 may be of any suitsurrounds the extremity of the tube being held thereto by means of screw 4?, the latter also in turn securing the deflector 46 to a flexible rubber cup 49, the latter providing the means for securing the conduit to the wind shield by means of the well known vacuum principle. This is accomplished by exerting pressure upon the cup 49, thus extruding some of the air therefrom and upon release a slight vacuum is created which holds the cup, shield 46, and the conduit to the defrosting device is taken from the propeller before it passes through the heater core, and this air passing through the defroster conduit is therefore substantially unheated. By this means, the amount of air passing through the heater is not substantially diminished, and the defroster arrangement therefore does not interfere with the normal operation or passage of air er of its air supply and without taking any of the heated air for defrosting purposes.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 5 through 7 inclusive, the arrangement consists of a core 20' surrounded by a casing or shroud 25". The forward portion of the shroud is fitted with a cover or face plate 28' carrying movable louvers or deflectors 3B. In this arrangement of the invention, I have also provided brackets 32' and 33' secured to the side walls of the casing 25". The brackets extend rearwardly carrying bushing 34' for securing the heater construction to a dash board or other portion of the vehicle, the fluid transfer inlet and outlet pipes being designated at 2| and 22. The motor 36 for driving the air moving means or propeller 38' is suitablysupported upon a bracket 40', the latter being connected to the cover 25" or other stationary portion of the heater.

In this form of the invention, a portion immediately at the rear of the air moving means is enclosed by a suitable supplemental casing 60 fabricated of sheet-metal or the like which is arranged to contact with the upper and side walls of the casing 25", the member having a rear wall 6| projecting to the bottom portion of the heater. The side walls of the supplemental casing or member 60 and the rear wall 6| terminate in substantially the same plane, whichwith the rear wall of casing 25" forms an opening 63 for the ingress of air to provide an air flow through the heater. In. this arrangement, the air to be passed through the heater is taken through the opening 63 from beneath the heater adjacent the floor of the vehicle, thus passing the coldest air through the heater. This facilitates the heating in the forward portion of the vehicle as such suction created by the air moving means directing a stream of air through the heater causes the cold air from the floor to be taken into the heater to be heated and some of the heated air to flow toward the vicinity of the floor of the vehicle.

The defroster arrangement includes a tubular outlet 65 which may be a sheet metal bushing or the like secured as by welding, soldering, or the like 43' in the rear portion of the casing 25" as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The bushing or air outlet duct 65 is connected by a flexible tube or conduit 45 to a point adjacent the windshield as has been hereinbefore explained in connection with the device shown in Figures 1 through 4 inclusive. It has been found preferable to arrange the extremity of the bushing 65 slightly to the rear of the axis of the propeller blades 38' as illustrated in Figure as this particular arrangement has been found to provide an adequate stream of air which will flow.out wardly through the] defroster conduit. I have found that the moving propeller creates a laterally and slightly rearwardly directed pressure of air, and thus by arranging the defroster conduit slightly to the rear of the vertical planeor axis of movement of the blades provides a highly satisfactory pressure to secure a steady flow of air through the defroster duct.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate a form of the invention wherein a single casing 10 encloses the core and encloses the space at the rear of the core.

The casing 10 has an upper wall 'H, side walls 12, a rear wall 13, and a bottom portion 14 which only partially covers the bottom of the heater construction so as to form an air inlet opening 15. The opening 15 is of suflicient area to permit an adequate supply of air to be admitted through the heater. In this form of casing or shroud construction, it is preferable to have a portion of the bottom wall of the heater 14 formed into a configuration to provide a pocket or chamber H which in turn is provided with an air outlet bushing 18 which is connected to the defroster conduit or duct hereinbefore described. It has been found that by utilizing a chamber or pocket arranged beneath the propeller blades that a satisfactory and adequate stream of air for defrosting purposes is forced out through the defroster conduit and yet at the same time does not interfere with the steady flow of air through the heater for heating purposes.

It is apparent that within the scope of the invention, modifications and different arrangements may be made other than is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending all variations thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character disclosed, in combination, a core structure adapted to receive a fluid heat transferring medium; a shroud surrounding said core and having a portion projecting rearwardly of the core; means for circulating air through said core positioned adjacent the projecting portion of said shroud; said shroud having an opening adjacent said air moving means, a tube registering with said opening and having its outlet terminating at a point remote from the core structure; said air moving means being arranged to direct a stream of unheated air through said core and through said tube.

2. A device of the character disclosed, in combination, a core structure adapted to receive a fluid heat transferring medium; a shroud surrounding said core and having a portion projecting rearwardly of the core; means for circulating air through said core positioned adjacent the projecting portion of said shroud; said shroud having a circular opening to admit air to said air moving means, the projecting portion of said shroud being formed with a pocket adjacent the air circulating means, said pocket having an opening in the wall thereof; a tube registering with the opening in said pocket and having its outlet terminating at a point remote from the core structure; said air moving means being arranged to simultaneously direct a stream of unheated air through said core and a stream of unheated air through said tube.

3. ma device of the character disclosed, in combination, a core structure adapted to receive a fluid heat transferring medium; a casing surrounding said core and having a rear wall portion spaced therefrom; means positioned adjacent said core for circulating air therethrough, said casing having an opening in its bottom wall to admit air to said core; said casing having a second opening arranged at the rear of said core; a conduit registering with said second opening and extending to a point remote from the core; said second opening in said casing being arranged with respect to the air circulating means whereby unheated air is impelled through said conduit.

4. A device of the character disclosed, in combination, a core structure adapted to receive a heat transferring medium; a shroud structure surrounding said core and having a portion projecting rearwardly of the core; air circulating means positioned at the rear of said core, said shroud structure including a projecting portion adjacent said air circulating means, said pro-' jecting portion forming a chamber in said shroud, the Wall of said chamber having provision for the exit of air; said air moving means being arranged to direct a stream of unheated air through said core and simultaneously direct a stream of unheated air through the provision for the exit of air in the wall of said chamber.

5. In -an automobile heater, a core, a fan mounted adjacent said core for blowing air therethrough, a shell enclosing said core and fan, said parts being so arranged that substantially all air discharged by said fan is compelled to traverse said core whereby a positive fluid pressure is built up over a region within said shell between the core and fan and a conduit for conveying air from said shell and communieating therewith at such region of positive fluid pressure.

6. A vehicle heater comprising, in combination, a core adapted to receive a heated fluid medium; a shroud surrounding said core; air moving means positioned'adjacent said core; said shroud having an opening; a tube registering with said opening and connected to said shroud, said tube adapted to terminate at a point remote from said heater, said air moving means adapted to simultaneously move a stream of air through said core and a stream of unheated air through said tube.

'7. An automobile heater comprising, in combination, a core adapted to receive heated fluid medium; a shroud surrounding said core and extending rearwardly thereof; a fan positioned adjacent said core and rearwardly thereof; said shroud having an opening; a tube registering with said opening and connected to said shroud, said tube adapted to terminate at a point remote from said heater, said fan adapted to simultaneously blow air through said core anda stream of unheated air through the said tube.

8. In an automobile-body heater of the circulatinggfluid type, a casing having main and auxiliary discharge openings, said auxiliary opening being adapted for connection to a conduit leading to a remote point, air-impelling means disposed within said casing for forcing air through both said main and auxiliary discharge openings, and a heat-exchanging core positioned between said air-impelling means and said main discharge opening to heat the air discharged therethrough, said casing being formed to provide a direct passage from said air-impelling means to said auxiliary discharge opening wherebya portion of the air impelled by said means may escape 76 through said auxiliary discharge opening without traversing said core.

9. In an automobile-body heater of the circ'mlating-fluid type, a casing having an air-outlet opening, a, heat-exchanging core within said casing and alined with said opening, an air-conveying conduit extending to a remote point, an electric motor, and air-impelling means driven by said motor for discharging an air-stream through said core and out said'outlet opening CLIFFORD L. COPE. 

